Can you believe over a quarter century has passed since the end of the 90s?
That incredible distance brings with it a sense of 90s nostalgia, as children of the decade look fondly on the memories created and wistfully on the things we’ve lost.
A Turbulent Decade
Of course, the 90s weren’t all rainbows and sunshine.
The decade saw police brutality and the LA riots, war in the Gulf, the OKC bombing, the first school shooting, and one of the most destructive hurricanes ever to hit the US (so far), to name a few horrific events.
But 90s kids wearing rose colored glasses prefer to focus on the good times, so that’s what we’re going to do today!
90s Nostalgia – What We Miss from the Decade
Despite the turbulence, the 90s created amazing works of American culture. Thinking about the decade also fills us 90s kids with nostalgia for what felt like simpler times.
Our 90s nostalgia transcends culture, covering history, that fleeting feeling of youth, our best memories, nearly forgotten friendships, and more.
The best things about the 90s include it all – don’t you agree?
Here’s what we miss most.
Our Youth
Everyone looks back fondly on the era of their youth.
So it makes sense that the people with the most 90s nostalgia are the ones who were kids at the time.
As a 90s kid well into middle age, I can relate. I wanted so desperately to grow up and be an adult. But why?
Looking back, I can see how good I had it. I miss the days when I could eat anything I wanted without gaining a pound, stay up late playing video games because I had nothing else to do, and wander the neighborhood with my friends.
I miss that energy and potential of youth.
Uninterrupted Privacy
Remember when you could leave the house, and no one could contact you? We’re so connected nowadays that we can’t even remember what being unavailable is like.
It’s not just the privacy I miss. It’s the idea that I don’t need to be available. So what if I missed a call or text? I’m busy actually living my life; I’ll call back later.
Gaming with Friends
Friday nights playing Nintendo 64 with my brother and best friends stand as one of my favorite 90s memories.
We’d take turns dying in Shadows of the Empire, race each other in Mario Kart, or fight each other in Super Smash Bros.
I still enjoy gaming, but it’s become more of a solo activity. Couch-coop games have all but disappeared in favor of online play (except for Mario Kart – thank you, Nintendo!).
But it’s not just the loss of couch coop – it’s the loss of freedom and friends who live a few blocks away who can walk over to play video games every Friday night. I miss that.
Gifts in Cereal Boxes
My mother must have been confused when I picked out my least favorite cereal at the grocery store, but I was willing to eat anything if a product advertised a free prize on the box.
And back then, they had some great prizes! Some even had video game CDs!
I no longer buy sugary cereal, but I don’t think today’s prizes (if they even have them still) are nearly as cool.
What was your favorite prize?
TV Culture
We obviously miss our favorite television shows like Friends and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but we can watch them on streaming services for a burst of 90s nostalgia.
What I miss more is the culture.
Friends aired on Thursday nights, and it’s all everyone talked about on Friday morning. We chatted about Ross and Rachel in the halls and during our lunch periods.
The rise of streaming took away the anticipation of new episodes, but it also took away our connection. We’re no longer glued to our screens on certain evenings so we don’t miss what happens next. Instead, we all watch at our own pace, on different days and times.
While the flexibility is great, we sacrifice an experience that brought us all together to get it. Is that better?
No Cameras at Concerts
There was a time you could watch a band perform on stage without the bright glow from someone’s cell phone in your face.
I get taking a photo or two – you’re at a concert from one of your favorite bands, and that’s a memory you want to cherish forever.
But why hold your phone up and watch the entire set through its tiny camera? Are you ever going to go back and view it? Are you going to post the full video on YouTube to get like 2 views?
People who do this ruin the concert experience for everyone, including themselves.
Early Instant Messaging
I really miss America Online Instant Messaging (AIM). I could have six chats open at once, talking to all my favorite people. I could put clever away messages up so everyone I know could see how cool I was.
Today we have texting, but it’s not the same. There are no away messages; we don’t get the burst of exhilaration when we see our crush’s status change, and the instant connectivity makes it less of a thrill.
Chat Rooms
a/s/l?
Maybe AIM was more of an early 2000s thing than a late 90s thing, but chat rooms were definitely around in the 90s!
Remember logging online into a random chat room and getting overwhelmed with the massive flow of conversation from users all around the world? You could talk about everything and anything – games, movies, weekend plans, where you lived. It was fascinating.
I’ll never forget a wonderful conversation I had with a random user about our shared love of the Offspring. We talked for nearly an hour before the most crucial chat question (a/s/l?) came up, and we discovered we were both teenage girls but from opposite sides of the country.
Weekend Movie Rentals
I worked at Hollywood Video as a teenager, and it was the BEST. I got to rent all the free movies I could watch.
But the best part wasn’t even watching the movies. It was going to the video store and browsing. There’s so much potential and possibility in it.
Will you watch a thriller or a romance? The newest release or a silly 80s action flick? And then what snacks will you get?
I don’t even watch movies anymore because browsing online isn’t nearly as much fun as reading the boxes at the video store.
The Music Scene
Not all of us loved 90’s music, but there is no denying the talent and passion that was born in that era.
Of course, the abrupt cultural change from 80s pop and hair rock started in September of 1991, when MTV premiered Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit and thrust grunge into the spotlight.
The 90s also saw the rise of pop punk with Green Day’s Dookie in 1994 and Blink-182’s Dude Ranch in 1997, and rap with Tupac, Notorious B.I.G, Jay-Z, and Snoop Dogg
And those with 90s nostalgia can’t forget the massive rise of female voices in music. Alanis Morrisette, Shirley Manson, Gewn Stephanie, and Courtney Love led the alternative scene, but the decade also saw the rise of female pop stars. Madonna (obviously an 80s star) paved the way for women like Mariah Carey and Beyoncé to rise to stardom.
It was a fabulous decade for music.
And Music Television
The best thing about the 90s was that a network branding itself as Music Television (MTV) actually aired music.
Of course, MTV launched in the 80s, and music videos got popular in 1983 with Michael Jackson’s Thriller, but most 90s kids were glued to our TVs in the 90s, watching the Top 20 Countdown and Total Request Live (TRL) to see if our favorite bands made the list.
Even Beavis & Butthead showed music videos.
But MTV was already shifting. The Real World premiered in 1992, and although we didn’t know it at the time, it would change the television landscape forever.
Now, MTV only shows horrible “reality” television, and a lot of other networks followed suit.
The Cost of Fast Food
One of the things I miss most about the 90s was the low cost of fast food. Do you remember Arby’s 5 for 5 roast beef sandwiches and Subway’s $5 foot longs?
When we were in high school, my brother and I used to ride our bikes to McDonald’s and feast on their value meals. Five bucks in our pocket could get us two cheeseburgers and fries, or a twenty-piece chicken nugget meal.
Recently, I spent over $40 on four sandwiches and 2 fries at Burger King – not only was the price ridiculous, but it tasted terrible too. Never again, but I do miss those old days.
Cartoons
I guess kids from every generation have nostalgia for the cartoons of their youth, but in my totally biased opinion, the 90s cartoons were the best. Sure, I still have love for He-Man and ThunderCats of the 80s, but nothing beats Chip & Dale’s Rescue Rangers or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (okay maybe they both started in the late 80s, but they ran through the early 90s!)
But also, the 90s saw the rise of cable television and with it, Cartoon Network. We could finally watch cartoons all day, every day. Although it mostly aired classic cartoons in the early days, it started originally programming later in the decade, bringing us shows like Ed, Edd, and Eddy, and Johnny Bravo.
It was a glorious era of cartoon shows.
The Toys
Who’s not nostalgic for the great toys of their youth?
The 90s brought us Pogs, hacky sacks, Furby, Tamagotchi, and Beanie Babies. We got handheld gaming systems like the Game Boy for Christmas, and the action figures we played with were still well made (though they started going downhill late in the decade).
I still have my old G.I. Joes from the 90s.
Hope
The 90s were tumultuous, but 90 kids had hope. Despite some of the problems, we could see ahead to better days.
We trusted that we could go to college and get great jobs. We believed in the American Dream.
But we also believed in the world. It seemed that, despite the skirmishes and problems around the globe, things were improving. The Berlin Wall fell in the 80s, and the world came together to solve crises like the AIDs epidemic and the hole in the ozone layer.
The hopeful attitude lasted until September 11, 2001.
Trust in Country
The terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, also eroded something else: trust in country.
In the 90s, we believed in America’s goodness. Our country seemed to lead the way in solving problems across the world. We helped our allies. We supported science and industry. We were the leaders of the free world, and all the citizens held that pride.
Although 9/11 brought us together for a few years, the subsequent actions tore us apart. The endless war, the Patriot Act, the financial crisis in 2008, and all the horrible things that followed, coupled with the rise of the internet where we could see past the propaganda and actually talk to people around the globe, made us all start to question whether America really is the greatest country in the world.
Though I’m glad we have more awareness about the truth, I miss being able to trust my country to do the right thing.
People We Loved
As time passes, so do people. We’ve all lost loved ones over the last two and a half decades.
Many remember the 90s fondly because of the memories they hold of those who are no longer with us.
But for me, it’s not just the passing of beloved friends and relatives. I also miss the friends I loved so dearly back then who I haven’t heard from in years.
We’ve gone our separate ways, but I’ll always cherish the time we spent together in the 90s – playing video games, going to the mall, running around the neighborhood, or even working.
Those times are gone forever, but when I have a jolt of 90s nostalgia, it’s almost always for them.
What Do You Miss Most About the 90s?
If you’re a 90s kid (or anyone who remembers the 90s), what do you miss most about the decade?
Share in the comments!